(Newser)
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Americans' level of satisfaction with their new cars is at its lowest point in more than a decade, and experts are blaming a record number of recalls and rising prices. The results of a national survey of more than 4,000 car buyers released today show an overall satisfaction level of 79 out of 100, NBC News reports. That's a 3.7% decline from 2014 and the lowest score since 2004. Of the 27 auto brands tracked by the survey, 15 showed a decline in customer satisfaction. Only two—Acura and BMW—showed any increase in satisfaction. CBS News reports the worst-rated cars—Fiat, Chrysler, and Jeep—are all owned by Fiat Chrysler, which also owns the low-scoring Dodge.

The 64 million autos recalled last year appear to have hurt customer satisfaction. The founder of the survey tells NBC it's "alarming that so many [cars] have quality problems." And the increasing cost of cars—the average price is now more than $33,000—is coming as a surprise to people buying their first automobile in a decade. "We really become unhappy when we find any defect or are told we have to take our car in to have some kind of recall taken care of, even if it doesn't cost us anything," the director of the survey tells NBC. Overall, customers tend to be more satisfied with Asian- and European-made cars than their American-made counterparts.

Jeep recalling 206,668 Cherokee SUVs for wiper defect The Associated Press DETROIT (AP) — Fiat Chrysler is recalling 206,668 Jeep Cherokee SUVs because the windshield wipers can stop working unexpectedly. Cherokees from the 2014 model year are affected. There are 158,671 in the U.S., 18,366 in Canada and 3,582 in Mexico. The rest were sold outside North America. Fiat Chrysler says static buildup may occur if the wipers are used when it's dry. Static buildup can affect the module that powers the wipers and potentially disable them. The company says it's not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the issue. Customers will be notified and dealers will repair the vehicles for free.

Reluctant Patriot

Aug 27, 2015 2:06 PM CDT

Today's cars are crammed with electronic wizardry from bow to stern. And those add-on gadgets aren't given away, nor are they cheap. The electronic / computerized frills should be negated, and the money used instead for top quality light switches, ignition switches, air bags, suspension and braking components, etc., while LOWERING the purchase price of the vehicle. Those add-ons are not necessary for commuting. I have a 1 y/o no-frills Jeep Wrangler, and I wouldn't trade it for another new anything.

gjsals

Aug 26, 2015 8:40 PM CDT

Most of the vehicles manufactured today are far better than previous models. Most of the defects today are in self serving defective union worker consumers who demand a high wage but do not want to pay for high cost products. Like the Liberals they want other people to pay for their life style while they shop Walmart for their personal stuff.